Stray Kitty
by Furious Pines
Summary: "Adrien is tired of neglect and empty praise. He leaves around a year after his mom left. He never goes to school. This sets off many, many chain reactions and a very different Chat Noir." Starts off a month after the Christmas Special. Adrien does not start off with Plagg. Marinette is Ladybug the same time she starts in the series, long before the start of this story.
1. Chapter One - Fever

Adrien was tired.

Adrien was cold.

Adrien was alone.

The rain pouring heavily that day, the box he was sleeping in not the greatest shelter, no blanket, he was not living very well. It started when his mom left a year ago. His father refused to acknowledge him, and Adrien just couldn't put up with it anymore. He was fed up with all the neglect. So he took some clothes, money, and left. Here he is a year later. Sleeping in a box. From Ikea. Wonderful. He was starting to burn up, and he could feel the sweat dripping off him the way the rain was of his box. He breath was fogging up in front of his face as he took deep, ragged breaths. Slowly losing consciousness, his vision blurring as he saw an Asian woman with short dark black hair hovering over him, calling over a tall, bulky man. He blacked out.

* * *

Adrien smelled cookies, and other sweets surrounding him and overwhelming him with a smell that didn't make him sick. It was a welcome change of course, but it was off-putting, as he had absolutely _no idea_ where he was. He felt a cold, wet cloth on his head, making his fever more bearable. He felt a lot better than he had felt in a while. That wasn't that much, but it was still a pleasant change of pace. He tried getting up, normally nimble on his feet, having had to run away from quite a few angry people he had stolen perhaps a piece of bread or a forgotten lunch. He quickly learned he isn't so nimble with a fever as he fell on his face. The sound echoed throughout the house and Adrien went dead-silent. He heard footsteps coming towards him, and he tried to scramble away, but with his fever he couldn't bring forth enough energy to move more than an inch from his place. He felt fear well up in him when he realized he was now being picked up. Adrien yelped in alarm, and attempted to put up a little resistance, but all he could do was wiggle a little. Regardless, he felt surprise at the comfort offered by the man as he placed Adrien back on the couch he fell off.

"Hey, you okay there?" The man said in a gentle voice.

"W- Who a- a- are you?" Adrien rasped, proceeded by a cough.

"My name is Tom, you're in the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. What were you doing out there with such a high fever?"

"…." Adrien looked away from the kind man, unwilling to answer.

Tom simply sighed, a sad look on his face.

"Well, I imagine you aren't going to get any better if you aren't clean, so once your fever breaks, would you like to try to take a shower?"

Adrien nods vigorously. He doesn't remember the last time he had a shower. He squeaks in surprise, feeling a new cold cloth on his head. He felt tired, not wanting to sleep in a foreign house, regardless of how ridiculously nice it's occupants are, his body betrays him as his eyes close and he falls into a fitful sleep.

* * *

He wakes, his fever gone, realizing the sun is rising outside. Did he spend the whole night here…? He jumps hearing clattering from the kitchen. A short Asian woman steps out, bits of flour on her, icing as well.

"Oh, I'm sorry did I wake you?" The woman asked in concern.

"N- No, I was a- already awake…" He said, his voice only a little bit sore compared to yesterday.

"Now that you're looking to be feeling much better, would you like to take a shower, maybe get changed into some clean clothes? Something my husband has should fit you." She says, smiling warmly the whole time.

"T- T- Thanks, I would l- like that a lot." He says, timid.

"Okay, let me show you where the restroom is then."

They started walking together. Adrien, being curious, decided to ask the woman a few questions.

"So, what's your name?"

"Oh, just call me Sabine. I never had the chance to ask yours?"

"A- A- Adrien. So is it just y- you and Mr. D- Dupain-Cheng?"

"We live with our daughter Marinette as well, but she's on a class field trip for the weekend, so she'd be back by tomorrow."

"Oh…"

"Well, here's the restroom, leave your clothes outside and I'll wash them for you and leave you some spares just outside the door."

"S- Sorry for being such a b- bother…"

She looks about to cut him off, but he quickly shuts the door, walking up to the mirror. Who knew how much one could change in a year. Due to a year with extremely lacking nutrition and general food, he couldn't see any height or physical age difference in his looks. He had black circles around his eyes, and his hair was greasy. His cheeks were slightly caving. His once vibrant green eyes were now dull and sickly, as they say, the eyes are the windows to the soul. His was extinguished a long time ago. He couldn't recognize himself. No wonder the family didn't immediately turn him in to the police. He stripped off his clothes. He could see his ribs. Father would be proud. Adrien was disgusted. He saw white lines trailing in neat rows on his thighs. Being a model, it was only place he could hide them. It was the only place he was allowed to draw the line. He traced them, each one having a specific memory of why they were created, as father pounded into his head that nothing can be without reason. His father missed that fencing competition Adrien was so proud of. Father forgot his birthday. Another goddamn pen. Ah. This one. He had gotten into a nasty argument with his father.

"Father."

"Adrien, why are you here without an appointment? How come Nathalie let you in?"

"Why should your SON need an appointment?!" Adrien cried out.

"Adri-"

"How come, _two months_ after mom _disappeared_ , having most of my life being _ignored_ by _you_ , even _with_ mom, I find you have time to be in whatever _**affair**_ you are having with _**NATHALIE?!"**_

"Adrien calm down, this is unprofessional."

"Were you doing this while mom was _still here_?! _**WERE YOU?!"**_

" _Adrien."_

" _Don't you_ _ **DARE**_ _you that on me!"_

"Look, I-"

" _Do you even love her?"_

Gabriel opens his mouth to protest before Adrien cuts him off.

" _Do you even love_ _ **me?"**_

" _ **Adrien."**_

Adrien instinctually cuts off.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you love me," He says quietly.

" _ **Leave."**_

"… _Gladly."_

That was a deep scar. His thigh bled for about half an hour, at least.

He didn't talk to Ms. Sancoeur or his father after that.

* * *

Note that in this au/fanfiction, Adrien is extremely scared of other people, leading to massive stuttering. He will probably not grow out of this even much later in the series, being an everlasting scar left by his neglect.


	2. Chapter Two - Groomed

Adrien started the shower and got in. The cool water washing off sweat, crusty mud, and dirt. He felt some of his fresher scabs and wounds burn a little, before feeling better, infection washing mostly out of long forgotten scratches. He borrowed some of the shampoo in the shower, and cleaned his dirty blond looking hair, watching muddy streaks of soap drip down his face as his hair turned from dirty blond to the color of sunshine on a warm summer day. He put in conditioner, gently untangling hair, thread by thread, being in the health he is, the hair could easily fall out if handled too rough. He learned that the hard way about three months ago, as he stared in horror at a large chunk of his hair left abandoned in his hand. He took a bar of soap to himself as he scrubbed at the bits of dirt stuck to his body. He put the bar down, letting the water rush down his body, rinsing him of the rest. He turned off the shower, grabbing a green towel from a nearby rack, and gently drying himself off before stepping out of the shower to dry his hair with the hairdryer. He turned on the hairdryer, purring to himself as the warmth washed over him, leaving him in a state of bliss. He put down the dryer, staring at himself in the mirror. He was much cleaner, hair almost an entirely different color. He looked a lot healthier, color showing in his face. His hair was noticeably thinner, as quite a bit had fallen out over the past year, regardless, looking much better without all that grease and dirt coating it. He let a little smile show, noticeable only if one looked closely. He noticed the clothes by the door. He picked them up and put them on. The shirt fit nicely, albeit a bit baggy on his near skeletal body, a nice white color. He wore black sweatpants, fitting similarly to the t-shirt. He walked out of the bathroom and made his way to the living room, Tom making and selling pastries in the room over. The sunlight came out of the window at an angle where it hit the couch just right, lulling Adrien into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

He woke up in the afternoon, Sabine sitting in the chair next to the couch.

* * *

"I see you're awake! I do hope you don't mind wearing our daughter's clothing, you seemed to be much closer to her size than mine or my husband's."

"Ah, no, I d- don't mind."

Sabine watched him sit up straight, a look of dismay and discomfort, since the clothing of her already small daughter hang so loosely off a boy probably around the same age as her, if her intuition were correct.

"How old are you Adrien?"

"H- Hm? Oh, I'm f- fourteen ma'am…"

Too small for his age. And certainly, too thin.

"Would you like something to eat Adrien? You haven't eaten much since yesterday…" Sabine stated.

"I don't want to intrude…"

"Trust me, we have plenty to go 'round," She said, gesturing to the fact this was a _bakery._

Just as Adrien were to protest, his stomach very loudly proclaimed it's need for food. His face flushed deep red as he pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in them.

"Being hungry is nothing to be embarrassed of Adrien, I bet you haven't eaten in days! Please do join us for dinner."

Adrien slightly lift his face out of his knees, quietly saying;

"I- If it's okay with you…"

"Of course it is."

"Alright then..."

Sabine silently cheered to herself as Adrien readjusted himself on the couch. She quickly ran into the kitchen to make a big meal for her husband, herself, and her guest. Adrien fiddled with his fingers, blushing and smiling to himself, which Sabine found absolutely adorable. She wondered if he perhaps ran away from home? An abusive household possibly? Poor child. She'd let him stay, no hesitation, but she wondered how Marinette would react. Oh, who was she kidding, Marinette had a heart of gold, no way she'd ever leave someone out in the cold. Especially so close to winter too. Sabine put the quiche in the oven. Maybe Adrien could sleep on the couch for a while. Now that she thought about it, didn't she have an inflatable mattress stored somewhere? She heard beeping. Oh, she had almost forgotten about the quiche! She opened the oven, smelling her delicious creation. As she picked it up, she looked over to Adrien once more, noticing how much healthier the boy looked compared to when she first found him, collapsed in a small box next to her shop. Sabine takes the quiche to the table her husband set, quickly inviting Adrien over with a wave of her hand. Sabine watched him quickly walk over with his head down, hands at his side. Adrien was about to sit at the opposite end of the table, when Sabine quickly asked,

"Don't you want to sit over here Adrien?"

He looked up in surprise at her, fiddling fingers forgotten. His expression turned into a small, genuine smile as he looked to the ground, taking a seat in between Tom and Sabine. Sabine silently cooed, the boy looking similar to a small stray kitten she'd find on her doorstep. She looked over to Tom as he cut Adrien a slice of quiche, expression similar to a child begging to keep an animal that followed them home. Tom gave her a look of "We'll talk about this later," leaving her to pout.

* * *

Adrien stared at the plate of food in front of him. God it looked good, but what would that do to your body when your metabolism has slowed down so much due to starving yourself for years for shoots, and even less while you lived on the streets for an entire year of even less food?

" **You'd be such a disappointment. You'd be bloated. Hideous. Father wouldn't want you to eat this. But didn't you say you were breaking free from your father's influence? Worthless. My chains on you won't be broke so easily,"** the monster gloats.

Stop. Just eat the food. Don't think about it.

" **You'll gain weight, do you really want to do that when you've finally achieved a body your father could be proud of?"**

I don't care. Eat so you don't _die._

" **Better to die than not to meet expectations."**

STOP-

"Adrien are you alright? You've been staring at that quiche like it did you wrong."

"I'm fine."

He eats the quiche.

It tasted like ash.


	3. Chapter Three - Runaway (Again)

Adrien choked down the food. God, it had been so long since he had eaten anything this substantial, even before he left that mansion. The voices would always quiet down after he started eating, but he would feel so much shame after he finished. Thanks to his acting skills, honed from living in the Agreste household for so long, he was able to keep the look of disgust off his face. If he wasn't the way he was, the food would probably taste great. This was a bakery after all, and it seemed to be doing pretty well.

Adrien knew he was being stared at by at least one, if not both of the Dupain-Chengs. They probably thought it was odd for someone who had been on the verge of starving to death to had taken so long to finish eating. He gently put down his silverware, as to not disturb the silence. Then, he spoke:

"I apologize for taking so long, it seems after living on so little for so long, my stomach isn't used to being this well fed." A truth, as to not raise suspicion.

"It's alright son, as long as you're full we don't mind," Monsieur- Tom says, his voice a deep, soothing quality.

"Yes, we only worry for your health," Sabine says, her smile wrinkling the corners of her eyes.

"T- Thank you," Adrien stutters in embarrassment, his cheeks a light pink against his pale skin.

An awkward smile reaches his face, as if confused on how to do so after being so out of use. Nothing like the "Dazzling Model Smile" he's known so well for. His smile grows a bit into a genuine, happy smile. One that wrinkles the corners of his eyes similar to the way Sabine's does. The way his own Maman's smile did. For once, the thought of his Maman didn't hurt. It warmed him to remember such a wonderful smile, to have one so similar to her's.

"You remind me of my daughter a bit to be honest," Sabine confessed, her expression one of slight embarrassment, "Marinette always had the brightest smile, yours is almost as bright when you do."

Adrien blushed, humbled by such a compliment. He had always been told how great a smile he had, but it was never over his real smile.

"C- Could you tell me a bit more about Marinette?" Adrien asked, genuinely curious.

"Marinette is a sweet heart, always thinking about others," Sabine gushed, "She once knit a sweater for a stray cat she found once, shame we couldn't keep it due to Tom's allergies."

"She's that good at knitting?" Adrien questioned.

"You bet!" Tom said, proud, "She's a designer! She used to talk about hoping to one day get an internship at Agreste Designs all the time."

Adrien blanched. Agreste? His Père? They said she was coming back from wherever she was tomorrow, what if she recognized him? Calm down Adrien, maybe it's a different Agreste?

"Y- You mean, G- Gabriel Agreste?" He stuttered, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Yep! She was a fan of his designs before it slowed down quite a bit," Tom said, "I believe she said it was after the disappearance of his son, only a year after his wife vanished."

"It hurts my heart to hear about missing family," Sabine said quietly, a somber tone in her voice, "I can't imagine what it would feel like to lose Tom or Marinette."

Adrien looked to the ground. He felt awful about it, but he knew he'd have to leave tonight, or risk being taken back to that lonely mansion. He missed his Maman and Père so, so much. But they were gone. There was no one left in that house. He had nothing to go back to. Nothing at all.

"You can stay up as long as you like Adrien, but we're going to go to bed now," Sabine said, her tone more cheerful than before, "We have to get up early to man the shop, and you're welcome to the couch as long as you like."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Adrien said, hard worked to keep the regret out of his voice, "I deeply appreciate all of it."

Tom and Sabine smiled.

"It was our pleasure," Tom said, before they both went upstairs to rest.

* * *

Adrien did not sleep. He waited a few hours till he was absolutely sure they were both sound asleep. He took a few pieces of the leftover quiche and wrapped them up for the road, knowing they wouldn't miss it- hopefully. He changed into his now clean clothes, thanks to the couple, before checking that he had everything he needed so far. One he was sure of the previous statement he took the back door out, the front having a bell that would awaken the sleeping bakers. He grabbed one of the carboard boxes they had in the alley to dispose of to use as a shelter for later. Once he had everything he needed, he quickly bolted out of the area, stealth built up after months of hiding from the many authorities his Père was sure to have hired.

After Adrien was sure he was at least a mile away, he stopped to rest in a small alley next to a Chinese massage parlor of some sort. As he set up his small box shelter, he noticed a small, shivering old man curled up in the alley across from his. Adrien quickly finished his shelter, hiding it from view of the old man, or anyone else nearby, before taking out one of the quiche pieces. He walked over to the old Asian man, kneeling over to hand the piece to him.

"Here," He said, offering up the piece of quiche, "You seem like you need this more than I do."

The old man took in the sight of the thin, skeletal boy. Gently taking the quiche into his hands, the man thanked Adrien for his kindness. Adrien smiled, glad to be able to help someone the way the Dupain-Chengs did for him. Walking back over to his shelter, he hid himself in it, peacefully easing himself into a calm, fruitful sleep.

Adrien yawned, waking as the sun turned the sky a bright orange, just beginning to light the area outside his small alleyway. As he woke he noticed a weight in his pocket that wasn't there before. Digging his hand into his back pocket, he took out a small, hexagon shaped box. He looked over to the alley where the old man was yesterday, not a trace of man left, as if he was never there in the first place. Cautiously, he opened the small box to find an onyx ring, darker than the darkest night. At the center of the ring a bright emerald pawprint gleamed in the morning light.

The beautiful, handcrafted ring mesmerized Adrien. It was clearly made with love and care, and he felt a deep sorrow for whichever poor soul lost it. _Just for a moment_ , he thought as he gently eased the ring on his finger. A bright green flash flooded the darkness of the alley, shocking him as he jumped, stumbling backwards into his box shelter, crushing it.

Groaning as he rubbed his now sore back, Adrien opened his eyes to a small, floating black cat, it's fur as dark and shimmering as the ring it came from. The creature yawned, opening its eyes to reveal a bright emerald, same as the gems shaping the pawprint on the ring.

"Hello kid, the name's Plagg," It said, it's voice a smooth, deep baritone, "Congratulations, you're a Miraculous Holder, my Chosen."


	4. Chapter Four - Miraculous

"W- What, I just-"

"Now I understand you're confused, so let's start off with the basics," Plagg states, his voice blunt, "I am a Kwami, kinda like a god, jinn, spirit, cait sith, whatever mythical power granting creatures you have in your culture."

"Umm-"

"As a Kwami, I grant you powers you use for whatever you want, although preferably for good," Plagg says, "Or at least that's what the Guardian prefers, I don't really care."

"Who's-"

"That ring there is a Miraculous, kinda like a genie lamp, it works as a vessel for me to power you with," Plagg explains, "It gives you some of my power without over flooding you with it all at once, which would kill you instantly."

"Oh no-"

"The main power you start out with is Cataclysm, the ability to destroy anything you touch, which wears off and leaves you defenseless after about five minutes, one for each paw pad," Plagg points to your ring, "So DON'T WASTE IT."

"…"

"Now," He finishes with a purr, "Any questions?"

"So, this would be like Ladybug?" Adrien asks, "She's a hero who fights against Papillon, who makes evil butterflies to possess people."

"Ah, Tikki and Nooroo," Plagg sighs, "You'll be working with Ladybug, as she is Creation, whereas you are Destruction, balancing each other out."

Adrien squeals quietly. He had always looked up to Ladybug, watching videos of her battles on the Ladyblog whenever he had the free time to do so. He once got caught up in one of the akuma battles after he ran away, the akuma being a girl who was angry at society for driving her friends to ridiculous dieting to get the perfect body. The akuma made everyone feel the crippling hunger pains her friends were forced to feel, Adrien suffering the worse, having his already painful hunger pains doubled by the akuma. Ladybug had swooped in and defeated the akuma, her Miraculous Cleanse healing most of his pain.

"One last thing," Adrien says with a note of finality, "How do I activate it?"

"Say the phrase Claws Out."

"Plagg, Claws Out," Adrien said quietly, buzzing with excitement.

The alley's shadows washed over him. It cloaked him in its darkness as it shaped into a protective leather suit, the neck of the suit a long, tight fitting turtleneck fitting over his mouth, with whiskers he could feel sticking out the front, a cartoony cat mouth drawn on in silver grey. The suit molded to fit perfectly over his skeletal body, enhancing his muscle, making it stronger and leaner than normal for protection and strength. He could feel two sharp cat ears shape into existence on his head, his hearing enhancing as his hair filled out, thick and wild. His hair covered his normal ears, now rendered useless by his new cat ears. A long, realistic tail lengthened from his tailbone to just above his feet, him in full control and feeling of both tail and ears. His boots shaped into large paws, silent and agile. The iris of his eyes turned a deeper emerald green as they blew to cover most, if not all the white of his eyes, his pupils turning to slits. Thick leather gloves formed over his hands, black claws appearing to stick out of his fingers and the toes of his paw boots, before being sheathed in unnoticeable pockets in his flesh. A thick black domino mask formed around his cat-like eyes. Finally, a small silver bell appeared on his neck, silent.

* * *

Adrien checked out the suit, taking a good look at it all. He sheathed and unsheathed his claws on both his hands and feet at least five times before doing anything else. Moving on, he flicked his whiskers, immediately regretting the decision as he shivered violently. He felt up his furry ears, feeling everything as if they were real. Same for his tail as he swished it back and forth. Deciding to take himself for a test drive, he unsheathed his claws before leaping on to the side of the Massage Parlor and scampering all the way to the roof at full speed, flinging himself off the top ledge before flipping onto the roof and rolling on impact. He left the roll, switching to run on all fours across the roof before leaping onto the next, continuing as he neared the Eiffel Tower.

A bright red blur shot pass Adrien, swinging from building to building before landing in front of him. He screeched to a halt, not wanting to run into the thing. Ladybug stood before him, proud and tall, the black rubber boot-like part connected to her suit stuck her firmly on the ground. Steel hard fabric shaped as a ladybug shell flowed behind her, translucent silk underneath that imitated wings. Her short pigtails fluttered in the wind, black ribbon having danced alongside it. One elbow-high black glove was trained on her hip, as the other spun her weapon at blurring speeds, the yo-yo itself barely visible.

"An akuma this early? Really? This had better be good, or I'm gonna go _extra_ hard on you."

"O- Oh, I'm not an akuma!" Adrien yelped, frantically shaking his head as he pulled down the mouth cover of his suit, "I'm on your side, I swear!"

"You have one minute to explain," Ladybug practically growled.

"I found this ring, and this thing called a Kwami came out, his name is Plagg by the way, and-"

"Okay, I believe you!" She slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Fhank youf!" Adrien said, muffled by her hand.

Ladybug let her hand drop back to her side. She sighed in relief, her other hand reaching up to brush back her hair.

"I'm honestly glad you're here now," She sighed once more, "Tikki always said I was supposed to have a partner, she honestly didn't know why it took Plagg so long to choose you."

"I think I know why, but I'd rather not explain…" Adrien said nervously, brushing back his wild, elbow length mane.

"That's fine, but I'd like us to able to trust each other more to work well together, okay?" Ladybug asked.

"I'll try." Adrien answered honestly.

"So, what's your hero alias?" She asked.

"Hmm… I think Chat Noir would go well with Ladybug," Adrien- Chat Noir purred, pleased with himself.

"Well Chat Noir, I hope we can become not only good partners, but good friends," Ladybug smiled, holding out a fist.

"I think we'd get along purrfectly," Chat Noir finished, fist bumping her.

Ladybug snorted, quickly holding her hand up to her face as she giggled.

"Oh? You've got to be kitten me," Another, louder giggle, "The Great Ladybug enjoys my clawful puns? I'm honfured."

"That last one was a stretch and you know it," She said, giggling all the while.

"Your giggling seems to say you think they're pawesome," He says before breaking off in full blown laughter, Ladybug joining in.

"If we're gonna work together we'll need to know each other's schedules," Ladybug said, her laughter finally dying out, "I have school, and going by the fact you're my height, I'll assume you do as well."

"Oh, uh, I'm actually homeschooled, so I have a lot of free time actually," Well it wouldn't have been a lie three months ago… Still sorta true he guessed.

"Oh, well our scheduled times for patrol are 7-8 am and 5-7 pm on weekdays, 7-9 am and 5-7 pm on Wednesdays, and 8-10 am and 3-5 pm on weekends."

"Got it."

"Try not to overwork yourself, we need full energy for any of the akumas."

"I won't let you down!"

"That should be everything," Ladybug held out her fist, "Glad to have a partner now."

Chat Noir bumped her fist.

"Glad to be your partner."

* * *

I have gained a new inspiration for this and my other works, with breaks coming up you should be seeing many new chapters in my series. I hope my design of Chat Noir has inspired any growing artists, as any and all reviews and fan art are appreciated.


	5. VERY IMPORTANT: REMAKING THIS STORY

Hello readers. It's been a long time. I plan on remaking this story and posting it on my Archive of Our Own account, which you'll find here: /users/Furious_Pines

The first chapter is already up, and the story has been renamed _Le Petit Chaton._

Happy reading.


End file.
